This invention relates to a control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle, and particularly to a control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an indicator for positively informing a driver of a state of a recharging power generation control during slowdown of the hybrid vehicle.
Some motor vehicles are of a type commonly called hybrid vehicles having an internal combustion engine and an electric motor disposed therein as the power sources of a propulsion system. The hybrid vehicle further includes an engine control means for controlling a running state of the engine and motor control means for controlling an operating state of the motor. The engine control means and the motor control means detect respective operating states of the engine and the motor when the vehicle is traveling, and then exchange such detected data regarding the running states. As a result, the respective operating states of the engine and the motor are controlled in association with one another. Such a control system attains a high level of required performance (such as fuel efficiency, lower values of detrimental components in exhaust gases, and improved power performance).
One such example of a control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle is disclosed in published Japanese Application Laid-Open No. 7-315078. The indication unit for a hybrid vehicle of this disclosure, which is arranged on a hybrid vehicle having an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, possesses a throttle opened angle detecting means to detect an opened angle of a throttle valve in the internal combustion engine. A pedal position detecting means detects a position of an accelerator pedal. A throttle indicating section indicates an opened angle of a throttle valve detected by the throttle opened angle detecting means. A position pedal indicating section indicates a position of an accelerator pedal detected by the pedal position detecting means. The indication unit informs a driver of appropriate drive information for a hybrid vehicle.
A monitor screen or indicator equipped with a control apparatus of a traditional hybrid vehicle merely shows a current movement situation of a motor and an engine. As a result, the monitor screen or the indicator in a control apparatus of a traditional hybrid vehicle does not suggest positively xe2x80x9chow driver should drive from now onxe2x80x9d to a driver, and there is inconvenience in that operation of a hybrid vehicle is not maximized. In particular, the control apparatus does not promote or educate a driver so as to let the important recharged voltage in a hybrid vehicle 100% effectively function.
This invention solves the above-mentioned problem, and provides a control apparatus for a vehicle to definitely communicate to a driver a situation where the recharging power generating control by a control unit of a hybrid vehicle is executed, or is not executed and may be executed as well. The invention can urge a driver to get a maximum recharging power generating effect for recharging a main battery in this situation. And, in slowdown of a hybrid vehicle, it is an opportunity that the recharging power generation can be executed to not completely use fuel.
In order to obviate or minimize the above problem, the present invention provides a control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an engine and a motor disposed therein as a vehicle-propelling system. The motor is connected to an output shaft and has both driving and power-generating functions. An engine control means controls a running state of the engine. A motor control means controls both driving and recharging power-generating states of the motor to be independent from the control of the engine by the engine control means. An indicator connected to the motor control means is turned on when the recharging power generating control is executed during slowdown of the hybrid vehicle. The indicator is turned on and off when the recharging power generating control is not executed during slowdown of the hybrid vehicle and the vehicle is in a state that it may be executed.
According to the present invention as previously described, a motor control means controls so as to turn on an indicator when a recharging power generating control is executed during slowdown of the hybrid vehicle, and controls so as to turn the indicator on and off when the recharging power generating control is not executed and is in a state that it may be executed. Therefore, by turning on the indicator or by turning it on and off, a driver is positively informed whether recharging power generating control is executed during slowdown of the hybrid vehicle or not executed even though capable of being executed. As a result, the recharging power generation during the slowdown that is a characteristic of a hybrid vehicle can be executed efficiently.